Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

"Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" is a highly watchable film which features a much greater reliance upon rollicking humour than we have become accustomed to during the more recent adventures. This humour works for the most part and William Shatner seems inexhaustibly determined in his new role as director to include as much eye catching action as he possibly can into the running time - he really delivers the goods in this regard - and he easily evokes the spirit of the ground breaking television series. However, the major flaw is the film does dramatically grind to a halt after it becomes clear it has run out of significant things to say once they eventually arrive on the planet at the centre of the galaxy.

Starts off promisingly, but descends quickly into a somewhat outlandish tale as the crew of the Enterprise meet up with the half brother of "Spock". We are then lumbered with a search for "God" that messes up the whole point of escapist fantasy with religiosity and along the way subjects us to a mind-numbing attempt at indoctrination. Of course there is scope for a discussion on a more ethical approach to the universe and our place in it; but "Star Trek" movies are just not that place - and I am afraid the story just glugs along like a rhino stuck in a puddle of treacle. The SFX are great and the usual trekkie team keep this from being a complete disaster, but it's not a good film.

I know, I know, I know, please don't hate me. Please. But, this came out in '89, my parents were busy, they dropped Heath and I off at the theater and didn't come in with us, and, yeah, that happened a lot growing up, but this was the FIRST STAR TREK MOVIE I GOT TO SEE BY MYSELF. And, really, it sort of became MY Star Trek movie. Not the ones I shared with my father, but MY Star Trek. And now when I watch it, yeah, I realize how bad it is, but it sort of has that landmark feeling of being my own Star Trek film... so I can't give it the horrible rating it deserves. But... yeah, I know it sucks.